Emergency sand due to hit Lido mid-November

Last week, the Sarasota City Commission unanimously voted to allow Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin to execute a contract for almost $4 million in sand slated for the highly eroded Lido Beach.

Two bids have been submitted, one for $3.943 million by Coastal Dredging LLC, and the other by Weeks Marine for $4.825 million.

City staff said it had not vetted the contracts because they came in just days before the meeting but asked to be allowed to award the contracts since there was enough in city coffers to cover the more expensive bid if necessary.

The project will use sand dredged from New Pass, which connects the Gulf and Sarasota Bay between Longboat Key and City Island.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already approved the project and FEMA will contribute almost $1 million toward the cost.The city hopes that Sarasota County pitches in an additional $1 million.